


Labor of Love

by Pfain Ryder (Cat_Moon)



Category: Quantum Leap
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 19:53:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19363234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat_Moon/pseuds/Pfain%20Ryder
Summary: When Sam leaps into a runaway on the streets of New York, he runs into a very familiar boy.  Can he save Al, or is he just making the situation much worse?  To stand by and do nothing isn't in Sam's nature... but getting involved could irrevocably change the timeline, and not for the better.





	Labor of Love

**Author's Note:**

> Deals with mature adult topics like runaways and predators, although no characters were harmed in the making of this story, and nothing explicit at all. Knowledge of the episode "Pool Hall Blues" recommended but not totally necessary. A bit of dialogue taken from "All Americans."  
> Originally published in "Let It Be Me #2" and after paging through it I remembered that this story was actually supposed to be the first in the "Angelfire Universe" but never made it into QF. That's okay, it works fine on it's own.

 

November 15, 1952:

 

From the moment I leaped, I knew I wasn't going to like this one. I was alone for a change, but my surroundings didn't exactly reassure me. A rat scurried across my shoe and I jumped up off the mattress I had been sitting on. Did I say I was alone? Actually, the dirty back alley was teaming with life, if you knew where to look. I could hear rats foraging in the garbage along the walls, and see the roaches crawling over decomposing food in a corner. I shivered and took a look down at myself. In a tattered pair of jeans and threadbare jacket, I was very under-dressed for the weather conditions. No one passing appeared to take any notice of me. I'm always grateful for some time to pull myself together, but a vague sense of emptiness filled me.

_Great! I've leaped into a skid row bum._

I wanted to find a mirror, so I ended up wandering the streets, careful to stay close to the alley so I wouldn't lose my way. It was a dismal day, as if the sun had abandoned the people here. Definitely depressing. I tried to distract myself by window shopping, taking note of the style of clothing. I guessed it to be the early fifties.

I was startled by the reflection I saw in one of the windows. "Oh boy... I'm just a kid."

"That's right."

I jumped slightly at the unexpected arrival of my holographic friend, but I'd given up reprimanding him. I knew he secretly enjoyed sneaking up on me. "That was quick," I commented on his speedy arrival.

"You think that was fast--" He shoved his cigar into the corner of his mouth and turned his attention to the handlink. "You're Simon Dawsen. A sixteen year old run--" His hand smacked the link firmly. "--away, living on the streets. Poor kid."

"Really impress me, tell me why I'm here." I got no answer, and realized he wasn't even listening. I followed his gaze to see what had gotten his attention, expecting to see some long-legged blond. Instead, he was staring at a young boy across the street from us. The kid looked slightly familiar, but I couldn't place him.

"Uh--I know why you're _not_ here," he finally answered.

If you called that an answer. "That'll be a lot of help," I replied sarcastically.

"You'd be surprised."

"Where am I, anyway?"

"New York City. November--" He glanced down at the link for a second, then back up at me. "--13, 1952. Ziggy's not sure why right now." He shifted uncomfortably. "So try not to _do_ anything yet, okay?"

"Okay," I agreed.

"Promise me."

"I promise," I assured him with a chuckle. "What's with you today?"

"I'm gonna go rush things back at the ranch. Be good." He stepped through the imaging chamber door.

It had sounded uncomfortably like an order. Was there something Al hadn't told me?

He'd left me with time on my hands and nothing to occupy my mind except questions that couldn't be answered yet. Not good. So I decided to continue my wandering. Maybe someone who knew Simon would see me, thereby giving me a clue to work with.

 

* * *

 

I was about to give up and return to my mattress when a boy roughly my own age ran up to me, slapping me on the back in greeting.

"Simon! You were supposed to meet me by the pawn shop on fortieth street an hour ago."

"I...fell asleep."

"It's okay." He fell into step beside me, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "You had a rough night. Like I told ya, hang on a couple more years and you'll be making good money. For now, I set up the meet with that guy Rado tonight. And guess what?"

"What?" I asked, when it became apparent he was waiting for a response.

"Today's payday, so I sprung for lunch." He held up a paper bag.

"You...have a job?" Sometimes the only way to get answers was to take a chance on sounding like a fool. I ought to know, I was the one who started Project Quantum Leap.

The boy laughed. "Yeah, soon as we connect with Rado, if you can stay awake long enough. You'd be surprised how many people leave their car doors unlocked after they've been to the market."

"You stole it?"

"How else do you expect us to eat?"

"But--"

"You got a better idea?"

"Well, I've been thinking, why don't we look for real jobs?" This just might be an open-and-shut leap. Surely I was there to get these kids off the streets.

"We've been through all this before, Simon. I'm _not_ slaving away at some factory for shit pay all my life, like my old man did. What did it get him? A wife that got fed up with him taking out his anger on her and killed herself, leaving him with five kids to raise. I lived in hell like that as long as I intend to."

"But--" I wasn't allowed to finish, just as well. I hadn't yet come up with a reply.

"There are easier ways to make it."

"The question is, make _what_?" I asked pointedly.

"Don't worry, I got it all under control. So let's eat, huh?"

Pushing him more wouldn't have accomplished anything other than an argument, so I chose to drop the subject temporarily. "Sounds good, I'm starved."

"That's my Simon," he said approvingly.

As we began walking, I felt eyes burning into me. Sure enough, when I glanced around, the kid Al had been watching was several feet away. He was staring at the roll my friend had taken out, with undisguised hunger. The minute he realized I'd

noticed him, he ran off into the park across the street.

"Let's have lunch in the park," I suggested, leading the way in the direction that my phantom kid had disappeared in. The feeling I should know him nagged at me, urging me to investigate.

"Aren't we feeling fancy today." I was pulled down onto the nearest bench. He divided up the booty, setting a sandwich down in space between us for me.

Like a streak of lightening, a flash appeared and grabbed the sandwich. He was in turn roughly grabbed himself, by my companion.

"Don't hurt him, he's just hungry!" I intervened swiftly, feeling sorry for this poor little boy without a home.

"So are we, and food's scarce." My companion handed the sandwich to me, letting go of our thief.

I grabbed the kid again before he could run off. Staring into his face, recognition dawned with a frightening certainty. I knew this boy, or, the man he'd become, better than I knew anyone else. "What's your name?"

"None of your business!" the little guy spat. "Let me go!"

"Feisty wench," my amused friend commented.

The boy kicked out at him, cursing inventively. I lifted him several feet off the ground by the back of his shirt. "You tried to steal my lunch, that makes it my business. I'm not letting you go until you tell me your name."

"Al," he admitted grudgingly when he saw I was serious. "Al Calavicci. What's it to you?!"

 _Everything_. Numbed into silence, I handed him my sandwich.

"Why?" Al looked at the food as if afraid I would snatch it back at any moment.

I shrugged. "I like your name." My mind was in turmoil, wondering what to do. Al had warned me about doing anything, but...

"What'd you do that for?" my older friend asked in confusion. The little Al took advantage of my momentary distraction to dash off, food clutched to him like a fine jewel. I got up to follow automatically.

"Let him go." The command was in stereo -- and both of them were serious.

I looked at my hologram, using the usual excuse to find a place where we could talk. "I've got to go to the bathroom."

"You asking permission?" Simon's friend waved a hand toward the bushes, busily wolfing down his food.

Al followed me to a quiet spot behind a tree. "I can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?" he exclaimed,

"That was you!" I scanned the area for a sign of him.

"No shit." He stuck his face into my line of vision. "Would you like to know why you're here?"

"Huh?" I asked absently, preoccupied.

"Earth to Sam! It's to save Joey Harmon." He pointed his cigar towards the bench. "Simon's friend. Ziggy says he stays on the streets, getting into worse and worse trouble, until he gets arrested. Ruins his life, all because he had some bad breaks. Ziggy thinks someone they meet in the next few days decides his fate."

" _He thinks_." I left my comment at that. "What about Simon?" I always felt a bond with the person who's life I'd leaped into. Only this time there was another bond as well, to someone else...

"Simon gets fed up with empty promises. Ends up leaving Joey and the streets, and marrying into money to escape." His voice rose in surprise at that. "Which doesn't set well with Joey, I'd bet."

"What about Al?" I figured I might as well use the direct approach.

"I know that look," Al warned. "Sam -- this leap has nothing to do with me, you hear me? I just happen to be here."

"Ziggy says."

"I don't wanna hear it! Let's learn from our mistakes and leave it alone. I'll be okay. Don't I look okay?" He gestured to himself. "That's not why you're here. Please Sam."

I could tell by his tone that it was very important to him, and I trust in him. What else could I do? I nodded. "I'll help Joey. How?"

"Try and keep him away from whoever leads him astray."

"I'm supposed to go with him to meet some guy named Rado tonight, about a job. I have a feeling it isn't the kind that takes applications."

"That might be it," Al nodded. "Try to find out what the meeting is all about, and I'll see if Ziggy can dig up anything on this Rado." Giving me one last look of warning, he was gone.

I vowed silently to keep an eye on little Al anyway--just in case, then returned to Joey.

"Not going soft on me, are you Simon?" Joey handed over half of his sandwich. "Gotta be tough to make it on the streets."

"And you think Rado is going to help us make it?"

"Nothing comes overnight, but you gotta believe."

The basic idea was right, but he was going about it in the wrong way. I had a feeling that getting through to Joey wasn't going to be easy. Unfortunately, I didn't have a choice. Somehow, I had to. "I agree, nothing comes easy. But what if you're believing in the wrong things?"

"Yeah, and what do you consider the right things, then?"

"Love, friendship, hard, honest work."

"Honest guys finish last. Now, if you don't want to help me, friend, I'll go alone!"

"Friends help friends, right or wrong. I'll go." Sometimes I'd say something, having no idea where it came from. Whatever, it seemed to be the right thing. Joey slapped me on the shoulder and began eating again. I was on thin ice with this guy, and wondered if the real Simon had been also.

I'd said nothing comes easy, but that wasn't necessarily so. There was one thing in my life that had, my friendship with Al. Despite all we'd been through over the years. I kept a watchful eye on the surrounding area, hoping to catch a glimpse of little Al. Knowing I had my work cut out for me on this leap.

 

* * *

 

The sun had already gone down when we started out for Rado's, and I wished for a coat. The cold wind bit into my body as we trudged the thirteen blocks. Gradually, I became aware of being followed. I'd developed a certain sixth sense in that area, so thinking it might be Al, I glanced around. It was Al all right, the boy. He was slinking along a dozen paces behind, trying not to be seen. I decided to pretend I hadn't seen him. At least, this way, I knew where he was.

The meeting turned out to be in an alley behind Rado's pawn shop The sleazy area fit the man perfectly. He was one of those soft-spoken men with a round face that would have been friendly, if you didn't look at the eyes. In them I could see the evil he tried so hard to hide. No way did I trust him, not even slightly.

Joey obviously did, he was enthusiastically introducing us. "This is my partner, Simon."

"Hey, Simon," Rado held out a hand.

I forced myself to accept his handshake, and resisted the urge to wipe my palms on my clothes afterward.

"Like I was telling Joey, I need to expand this pathetic business of mine. The problem is, unlike the cold-hearted store owners around here, I refuse to get ahead at the cost of my neighbors. The poor people in this neighborhood can't afford to pay typical pawn shop prices. So whatever you can 'find', I don't care--nor do I want to know how, bring it in and I'll give you a third of the profits. Now that's a good deal. How much you earn depends on you."

"You don't want to know anything, so you can't be implicated in any thefts?" I asked, unable to keep all of the contempt out of my voice, for this slime who would send kids to steal for him.

Rado was too preoccupied to notice. He was staring down the alley. Little Al stood there, not too close, like a timid deer. I would've smiled at the sight, except something about the way Rado was watching him inexplicably turned my blood to ice.

"Who's he, another partner?" Rado asked in a hopefu1 voice.

"Just some kid," Joey answered hastily. "We don't know him."

"Maybe you should recruit extra help. Pay him a small fee to do the work for you and be the boss." He reluctantly turned back to us. "Well, I'll look forward to doing business with you." He shook our hands again, but his attention was on Al.

I watched Rado disappear inside the store, still bothered by what I'd witnessed. I was going to have to keep an even closer eye on little Al. He wasn't supposed to be involved in this, and I sure didn't want him to be.

I turned back to Joey, who was watching the boy. To me, both Al's now stood side by side. It was one of those rare sights that I never would have had if I hadn't started leaping. The little boy and the man he'd become, and I loved them both. It was a scene that would stay with me for the rest of my life.

"Simon, I told you not to feed stray dogs. Once you do, you can't get rid of them." Joey's malicious laugh tore into my peace.

Suddenly little Al lunged, grabbing him around the middle. I pulled him off quickly, before Joey could react and hurt him. "Cut it out, Al!" I pointed a finger at Joey. "And you leave him alone!"

Al was as slippery as an eel. He managed to sneak out of my grasp, and took off before I could stop him.

"What have you got against him, anyway?!" I yelled at Joey. "He's just a scared little boy!"

"So is Joey," the hologram noted.

"I don't understand you all of a sudden, Simon. You don't want to work for Rado – yesterday you couldn't wait. I did it for you, can't you see this is our only chance to make it?!" Joey cried.

"Why can't we just find real jobs?" I knew I sounded redundant, but I was over-extended at the moment.

"I tried!" He yelled his admission in an agonized voice. "No one's gonna hire a 16 year old runaway that can barely read or write."

"He's got a point, Sam." Al commented softly.

"I could try--" I began.

"No!" Joey cut me off. "I don't want you putting in ten hour days at the factories, not with your asthma. You promised me you'd let me take care of us."

"Why does it have to be by stealing?" I insisted.

"We're running out of time, Simon! There's plenty of worse ways for us to make money to eat, and it's all waiting for us to get too hungry and too desperate."

And I was fast running out of ideas. In 1952, honest labor was just that, hard work, for boys in our situation. No way was I going to convince Joey to try it. "What about going home?"

Joey grabbed me roughly. "I won't let you go back to your mother after what she did to you. What's it gonna hurt?" he pleaded. "It's not like we're hurting anybody. We're helping, really.”

"Couple of Robin Hood's, " Al smirked. "I've always wondered about his band of 'merry' men."

"I've always wondered about _you_ ," I whispered angrily, not in the mood for any of his tasteless jokes at the moment. I noted in satisfaction as his mouth dropped open.

"Very funny, Sam." Al was properly chastened and shut up.

"Wondered what?" Joey asked me.

"Uh--wondered about the people we'll be stealing from."

"They can afford it. Besides, you know them personal? They ever do anything for you?"

I sighed tiredly. "No. But they never did anything _to_ me, either." The problem was that Joey was right. In this place and time there was nowhere to turn. He'd sorted through the hundreds of bad solutions and chosen the lesser of the evils. Except it wouldn't work out for him. "I'm just worried about us," I said, defeated.

Joey hung his arm around my shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "Leave that to me. I'm just asking you to trust me, I won't let you down. Promised, didn't I? Now you go on back to our mattress, and I'll find us something to eat. It'll by okay. Okay?" he smiled.

I looked to Al, who shrugged. Trust is an important part of friendship, but what of a situation like this one? How, where do you draw the line? Is there a line? I think Al spoiled me.

"Let him go, Sam, he'll be okay...this time."

"Okay," I agreed. "I'll see you back there. But make mine medium rare this time," I joked to ease the tension.

Joey gave me a quick hug and was off into the night. I began walking aback to the alley.

All fell into step at my side. "This is not going well, Sam."

"I didn't plan on having him--you--following me around like this."

"This is a very crucial time in my life you're messing with here. In two days, I get desperate and pick Black Magic Walter's pocket. You do remember that leap, don't you?"

"Of course I do." No wonder Al was so adamant about me not interfering. The pool player had made a big impression on his life, how much of which made Al the man he was today, I couldn't be sure.

"Then you've got to get tough. Be mean, get rid of me."

I looked at him. "Why not ask me to get a pocket knife out of that pawn shop, and surgically remove my heart."

Al sighed. "We're in trouble."

"Did you find out anything on Rado?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's the trouble Joey gets into, all right. The kid becomes an unofficial partner in the shop, and they expand to fencing stolen property. That's after Simon takes off. Joey goes down alone, although Rado eventually gets arrested on a porno bust."

"Porn?"

"His 'hobby' is taking pictures of little kids 'Au natural." Al's opinion of what he was reading off the handlink was written in the disgust on his face. "There was suspicion of child molestation too, but they could never prove it."

 _Al..._ "No!"

He misinterpreted my panic. "Oh don't worry, Simon and Joey are safe. He's not into anyone over twelve."

All I wanted to do at that moment was run off and look for little Al, without explanation, without having to face this Al with what I'd inadvertently done. But honesty is another one of those things our friendship is based on. "Al...at the meeting, you followed us. Rado saw you watching and seemed to take an interest. God, Al, forgive me..." That was as far as my courage carried me. Without waiting to see his reaction, I took off towards the pawn shop, calling his name.

 

 

* * *

 

He wasn't there, or anywhere I could see. Hoping that was good news, I decided to head back to Joey's alley. I could feel my Al's presence, as if he was there but staying out of sight. I knew why. To give me some space until I could talk to him. We both knew it was me who was going to have to do the forgiving of myself. Al's always there for me, right or wrong.

As I approached the alley, I saw little Al. He was standing on the corner, talking with two very unsavory looking characters. I didn't like the feel of it, and he didn't seem to be too pleased himself. That was good enough for me.

I ran over to them, pushing in front of him protectively. "Leave him alone."

"Hey, we was just--"

"I don't care what you were doing," I cut in. "I said, get lost!"

"Yeah? Well fuck you!" The guy, twice the size of Mr. T, gave me a shove.

I grabbed his arm and started to lead him away, but his friend grabbed me. I saw a glint of something metal in the streetlamp, a knife. I struggled to break free, kicking at "Mr. T" with my feet. As he doubled over, I turned and punched my former captor in the stomach. I heard my name being screamed, actually felt the whoosh of air as the knife tore my jacket, narrowly missing flesh. I went on automatic then, using skills I didn't remember learning to defend myself. Muscle memory told me I'd obviously had some extensive martial arts training somewhere along the way. It wasn't long before the two got tired of fighting and took flight.

I looked around for the hologram, but he'd disappeared again. Visually, at least. That didn't fool me.

Little Al watched them take off, an amused expression on his face. Then he turned to me, a smile in his eyes that was achingly familiar. "They were only asking for a match." He pulled a half-smoked cigar out of his pocket.

I couldn't help chuckling at the sight he made, little man. "Aren't you a bit young?" I pointed at the cigar. "Where'd you get that?"

"Asked some man. He thought it was 'cute', so he gave it to me."

I grabbed it out of his mouth and crushed it under my foot. "It is, but you're still way too young to be smoking."

"When will I be old enough?" little Al asked curiously, though I didn't think my opinion really mattered to him.

"Oh...eighty six?" I responded hopefully.

"You're weird," he stated emphatically. "But thanks anyway." I could tell it wasn't something he said often. "You didn't know that's all they wanted."

"Neither do you." I wanted so much to get him to go back to the orphanage, knew I couldn't. Of all the things I wanted to tell this lonely little boy, I was allowed to say nothing. "Be careful," I murmured, my voice almost breaking.

"You too."

It was the hardest thing I'd ever done, letting him walk away. But after everything that had gone wrong, I was afraid to do anything else. Fear for him had paralyzed me into inaction. I'd done enough damage for one leap, and wasn't so sure of myself anymore.

One word would have been enough to hold him, I could tell by the look in his eyes. He was just waiting to be asked, wouldn't stay otherwise. He was alone in a hostile world, scared and hurting.

After a prolonged silence, he turned and began walking down the street. I let him go.

 

* * *

 

My Al was waiting for me just outside of the alley, and he didn't look happy.

"You got somebody up there on your side, kid,” Al said.

Worry for him had stretched my patience, and I was still feeling the adrenaline from the fight. "And what does that mean? I'm a pawn, a puppet, a guinea pig, a, a..."

"You're your own guinea pig." Al shook his head. "And you're standing in the middle of the street talking to yourself."

"You think any of these people care?!" I gestured angrily around at the various vagrants and addicts. "And it's a sidewalk."

"All I know is that was a dumb stunt you pulled, and you're lucky you didn't get yourself killed!" he exploded in anger.

"It's my business!" I shouted back, ignoring the fact that there was something else in his reaction. Fear.

"The hell it is! You may think you've gotten out of answering to the committee and everyone else, but there's one person you still have to answer to -- me!" Al threw up his hands in exasperation. "Always trying to insist on getting your own way. Sometimes you're such a spoiled brat."

"Who's fault is that?" I asked pointedly, meeting his gaze.

Al turned his head away, trying to hide the fact that he was fighting a smile.

"I know I've screwed up this 1eap so far, but I'll fix it, I promise. I won't let you down."

"Aw, Sam..."

"Are you okay, Simon?" Joey had come up to me and was watching me carefully. I had no idea how long he'd been listening to me talk to myself, but obviously he'd heard some. "You didn't take anything, did you?"

"Take what?" I asked, confused. It wasn't easy to hold two conversations at once, and my attention was still focused on Al.

"He's talking about drugs, Sam," Al filled me in disgustedly.

"I take drugs?" my voice rose.

"Don't you dare!" Al commanded. "We got enough troubles."

The mention of drugs had thrown me momentarily. Most people tend to think of drug use as something that was invented in the sixties. It was sobering to be reminded how wrong that assumption was.

"You better sit down." Joey led me to our mattress and pushed me down. "You don't look so good," he added in a worried tone.

"I'm okay, really," I tried to reassure him.

"Maybe it's lack of food. You'll feel better after you eat. Look--" He excitedly unveiled the food he'd brought, watching me expectantly.

I stared at the steak before me in utter amazement. "...How?"

"You asked for steak, you got steak."

I didn't know how he'd pulled it off, nor did I want to know. Still, it was the thought that counted. "Oh, Joey...thanks."

"Anything, for you."

"I was only kidding about bringing back steak," I felt compelled to add.

"I wasn't. Let's eat," he mumbled, proceeding to do just that.

I dug in too, suddenly realizing how hungry I was.

"Good?" Joey asked.

"It's the best steak I've ever eaten," I agreed, meaning it.

Joey beamed. "The best is yet to come, buddy, you'll see. Someday soon we'll be eating steak off of fine china, with caviar."

"And a bottle of expensive French wine," I added.

"Candlelight..."

"Sounds great." _Candlelight, wine..._ Suddenly I was swamped by memories.

_I was looking up at Al over a bottle of good wine. I could hear the waves pounding the surf outside the restaurant window. I was telling him that I hadn't had this much fun in a long time..._

"Hey--Sam?"

I came back to my surroundings with Al watching me worriedly. The memory was one I knew. It was the beginning of his long road to get me out of the shell I'd crawled into after my father's death. The family had really gone downhill after...and if it weren't for Al...

I looked down at my food, not hungry anymore. But someone was...

"Where's Al?" I asked both of my companions.

"I ain't seen him." Joey pushed the steak away. Mentioning Al extinguished the warm mood like a bucket of ice water. "Why are you so interested in him all of a sudden?! What about us and our plans? He's all you talk about!!"

"Is it wrong not to want somebody to starve to death?" I asked defensively, throwing my hologram a glance for good measure. I was still feeling confused and cranky about the odd memory.

"You ain't heard a word I said since yesterday. Fuck it!" Joey spat.

I watched helplessly as he jumped up and ran off. His extreme attitude puzzled me, making me wondering if there wasn't more going on than I understood.

When he was gone, I turned to Al. "What's with him?"

"He wants your ass."

"Al!" His crudity erased the rest of the cobwebs, bringing me fully back to the present.

"Okay, he's in love with y--Simon." Al shrugged vaguely. "Just quit it with the selective amnesia, you're here to save Joey, not me."

"Why can't I do both?" I asked with defiance.

"Use that genius brain of yours for once! I have to pick Magic's pocket tomorrow afternoon. If you screw that up and I don't, I won't be able to help you win that pool game you played for him. We don't know what the consequences would be."

"What if Rado--" I couldn't voice the words of my fears.

"It's just too risky. We're talking about your life."

"What about yours? I can't stand by and watch you--"

"Then don't watch."

"Goddamn it, Al!"

"You don't have a choice." With those harsh words, Al abruptly disappeared.

I hated it when he did that. He had one hell of an advantage when it came to having the last word -- an exclamation point. I looked up at the night sky, able to pick out a few stars that managed to survive the city pollution. "Please don't let it come to that," I whispered.

 

* * *

 

Once again, I found myself searching the streets. I went to the pawn shop, expecting to find Rado, maybe warn him away from Al. Instead, Joey sat on the ground against the door.

As I knelt down, he raised tear-streaked eyes to mine. "Are you okay, Joey?"

"What do you care? Leave me alone!"

I grabbed his shoulders. "I can't. I'm trying to help you, and Al. I don't want to see either of you make a big mistake." It was time to start talking like an adult to this child. Like Sam Beckett would. Nothing else had worked.

"Yeah? Well, you ain't gonna save either of us, so give up!"

"How do you know that?" As Joey turned away from my probing gaze, I realized he was acting more shook up than he should have been just because of our fight. It gave me a bad feeling. Something was wrong. "Did something happen that I don't know about?" He didn't answer in words, but he didn't need to. I shook him. "Tell me!"

"I--told Rado I needed to make big money, right away. I thought maybe if I could prove to you that I wouldn't let you down, you'd..."

Simon hadn't hurt Joey, I had, with my single-minded preoccupation with Al that he didn't understand. It was a bizarre triangle, to say the least. Feeling guilty, I pulled him to me comfortingly. "It'll be okay..."

"No!" Joey pulled away. "Rado said to come back tomorrow, and he'd work something out. Said if I was really that desperate he'd pay me good to...to round up young runaways, bring them to him. He takes pictures of them and...and I told him okay--I was scared to say no after he told me about it, didn't know what he'd do to me. Then when we came out, the kid was here and he--he's got Al. I'm sorry!"

A fist tightened around my throat and I struggled to stay calm and rational. "See what life is like on the streets?" I spat. "This is reality--not those get rich quick dreams of yours! All they'll get you is dead. There's no future here for us, we've got to find another way. Work in the factory, but save the money, get an education. _That's_ the way out of this hole. No, it's not easy, it's damn hard. But you have to keep trying. Every time they kick you down, you have to get right back up and say -- I'm not going to let them beat me! If you have the courage to fight, you can do it!"

I knew those words well. Al had lived them, all his life. If only the adult Al could be an inspiration to Joey, like he'd been to me. But this had to be enough, I couldn't waste any more time there. "Where did he take Al?"

"Some deserted warehouse, around here. I don't know where, I swear it..."

Just maybe Joey was finally scared enough to start thinking. I left him with his conscience, and started to search for Al.

 

* * *

 

Al the hologram was waiting for me around the corner. He stood in front of me as if that could block my way.

"Rado has you," I told him.

"I heard."

"Yeah, I figured you did. There's no point in being sneaky, I know when you're here."

He stared at me in surprise. "How?"

"I feel it." I dismissed the topic, concerned only with averting the coming events. "Can't Ziggy get a fix on him?"

"He already has. You aren't the only one who's been keeping an eye on the kid."

Al was saying the right words, but his stance was all wrong. "Well, what are you waiting for – let's go!"

He stood rooted to the spot. "No."

"You're not serious?!" I felt the panic returning.

"Very."

I hated the stoic determination 1 saw, so unlike my Al. I didn't want to think about what it was costing him. "What about the consequences of _this_ change?" I tried.

"As it stands right now, I'd end up holding out a few more days, picking someone else's pocket. However, after tonight I'll be desperate enough to pick the right one tomorrow. Ziggy says the odds are 94%."

He could've been reading the weather off of a piece of paper, his delivery was that wooden. It scared me almost as much as what was happening with little Al. "I don't give a damn about what Ziggy says!"

"I do."

"Tell me where he is," I pleaded desperately.

"I can't."

Al was unflinching and unreachable. I couldn't believe it, yet it seemed I had to. He wasn't going to give in this time. Of all the others, this time when I need it the most, I strike out with him.

I turned my back on him, and for awhile the only sound was the wind whistling between old buildings.

"C'mon--sit down over here and talk to me," Al begged.

I followed numbly, and sat down on the crate he gestured to. I knew the plea was as much for him as for me, making it hurt all the more. He wanted us both to have a distraction. I was letting him down. He wouldn't see it that way, but I did.

"Y'know " he began when we'd settled. "There's a place around the corner that sells the greatest pastries--well, doesn't do you any good. It's a bummer to leap into someone with no money."

I handed him more uncomfortable silence.

Al attempted again to breach it. "Oh, did I tell you? The other day, Tina got her hair done. There was something screwy with the chemicals and she ended up with polka-dot hair. She was livid! She's now threatening to get a military cut, so I don't know what I'm gonna come home to..."

I wondered how Al had gotten so tough suddenly. I was usually able to get him to come around relatively easy, in fact, he was pretty much a pushover when it came to me, and he even admitted it. So what was so different about this situation?

Me. He was sacrificing himself for me.

He'd stopped talking, and I could feel his eyes on me. I knew what kind of picture I made. I was huddled in the corner with knees drawn up, crying silently. I didn't care. The best way to fight fire was with fire.

"Don't cry for me, Sam."

"Shut up," I sobbed, for good measure. It was easy, there wasn't much acting involved.

"Sometimes the hardest things to do are the things we have to, Sammy."

"It's not fair." I realized I sounded like a petulant child, but I was beyond caring. I'd do whatever I had to, to save Al.

"Since when has life _ever_ been fair, to either of us?" he asked bitterly.

"Exactly. It's always us that suffer."

Al shrugged. "We're the ones who challenged fate."

"No. Not us. I did." I turned to stare at him.

"Don't!" Al warned. "Don't you dare say it."

"It's true," I said quietly.

"No! I lied, Sam. I used to believe life wasn't fair, but I don't anymore."

"Yeah?" I asked sarcastically. "And what's life given you so great to make you change your mind?"

"You."

I should have seen it coming. I stared at the moisture filled eyes before me, speechless. "Al..." I finally whispered. In that moment I wanted to reach out more than I ever have before, breach the years that separated us and give my best friend a hug. And the Al I _could_ reach out to was off limits to me.

"I'm not doing this to save you, I'm trying to save _us_ ," he said.

A vague plan formed in my mind. It was a long shot, but better than the alternative. "What about all those times you helped me when Ziggy said I was wrong? Why did you?"

Al shifted uncomfortably. "Because I believe in you," he admitted reluctantly, as if he sensed I was trying to trick him.

Which I was, of course. "Then let me go."

Al pinned me with an earnest gaze. "Do you really believe Ziggy is wrong, or is it just your emotions talking?"

Time was running out, I knew it, and my sense of frustration built. "There's been times when I knew Ziggy was right, but that didn't stop me from challenging it--and winning! None of us really know how letting this...happen will affect your life, so let me stop it. If you're gonna be hurt, I'm gonna be the one to hurt you!" I lapsed into silence, stunned at my own words.

Al's eyebrows rose, but he said nothing. I'd surprised us both.

"I'm sick of this! I'm going to be in control of this experiment for a change. Tell me!" I lunged at him in fury, planning on trying to shake some sense into him, hologram or not.

Al actually jumped back involuntarily, as I caught him off-guard. Then a confused expression crossed his features as he realized it. "What the hell--"

"I'm gonna search every warehouse in New York if I have to," I informed him as inspiration struck, in the form of a recent memory from a leap. I was on a football field, there to stop a friend from throwing the game and his future...

 

_"What do you want me to do?" I'd asked._

_"Quit," was Al's reply._

_"Chewie's already throwing away his future, what do you want me to throw away Eddie's too?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"They're that close?"_

_"Yep. Just like me and you..."_

 

I almost laughed out loud in triumph. I had Al right where I wanted him, and he had only himself to blame for giving me the idea. "Which means, I'll be much too busy looking for you, to worry about what's happening with Joey."

"But then you won't leap!"

"Exactly." I stared him down.

"You wouldn't..."

"Try me." The next few moments felt like the most crucial of my life. I waited, holding my breath.

Finally, Al spoke. "...It's down the street. Third warehouse on the left. If you hurry you may be able to--"

Without waiting to hear any more, I dashed off toward the building.

 

* * *

 

My heart was in my throat by the time I found myself climbing through a broken window in the back of the warehouse. I crouched in the darkness, listening. I could make out faint voices, so I followed the sounds. Praying I was in time. By sliding along the wall, I ended up in what seemed like a main room. It was the right place, they were off in one corner.

I saw Rado bending over Al, and something in me snapped.

I let out a yell and lunged. Hands connected clothes and flesh, and I flung Rado away from the boy. He ended up across the room, flat on his back.

I advanced, senseless with rage. Rado stared at me in dawning horror, and tried to scramble across the floor backwards. He got a few feet, then ran into the wall. A whimper escaped him, plea for mercy. Most evil men are really cowards without honor, they need to hurt others in order to validate themselves. It sickened me to think that this slime almost...

I yanked him off the floor, and rammed my fist into his face as hard as I could. Then I hit him a few more times, until I had to hold him to keep him from slumping to the ground. I couldn't stop hitting him...

"Sam!"

The sharp yell cut through some of my rage, and I spared my hologram a glance out of the corner of my eye.

"You got here in time, he didn't get a chance to touch me."

I stared at the bloodied lump in my hands, trying to clear my head. All I could see was a red haze.

"What, you wanna kill him in front of a ten year old kid? It's over, Sam!"

I shook my head in denial of the fearful plea. All I wanted to do was continue making Rado pay.

"Sam, for God's sake?!"

"S--Simon?"

The timid whisper from the younger version of my friend did what the hyper-hologram hadn't been able to--stopped me cold. "Al..." Hologram and slime forgotten, I ran to the boy.

He was trying to put his jacket on, but his hands were shaking too badly. I didn't give him a chance to try and play tough guy, I gathered him to me. "It's okay," I soothed, rocking him in my arms. "It's over. He didn't...hurt you?"

He managed a shake of his head. Tears were leaking out of the corners of his eyes.

"It's okay, big boys cry too, sometimes," I prompted him with a watery smile of encouragement. The dam broke, and he started sobbing like the scared little boy that he was. I held on tightly, grateful for being given the chance to be there for him.

"Just when I think you can't possibly make me more proud of you..." the hologram murmured.

I smiled up into my Al's eyes. He mouthed something which looked suspiciously like it might have been _I love you,_ then stepped through his doorway.

Little Al pulled away, giving me a genuine smile of his own. "Thanks. I owe you."

"Friends don't 'owe' friends," I told him firmly. "All that matters is you're okay." Al glanced toward the lump on the floor, and I followed his gaze. "We better get out of here before he wakes up." I helped him on with his jacket.

"I don't figure you," he commented in a nearly adult voice. His face showed traces of wisdom beyond his tender years, the kind born of hard knocks. My heart lurched. "But I trust you."

 

* * *

 

When I woke the next morning, dawn was just struggling to break into the night. Little Al was still sleeping next to me on the mattress, and I had one arm thrown protectively around him.

He woke as I stretched, and rubbed at his eyes. "I'm hungry. What are we doing about food?"

"Well," I began. "I have a theory about that..." Which just might work. Al had underestimated me. Plenty of times I'd pulled off the near-impossible on sheer stubbornness alone. All I had to do here was make sure Al picked Magic's pocket. He trusted me, felt he owed me, so it wouldn't be difficult. It wasn't something I looked forward to doing, but it was for him.

"Simon?"

I looked up at the tentative greeting. Joey stood there, looking more than rough around the edges. His eyes were blood-shot and glazed. I had a feeling he hadn't slept.

I rose, taking him by the shoulders. "I was worried about you. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I...guess. I been to the cops. I turned Rado in, told them everything. I talked to someone there, he said if I helped them get Rado, they'd help me get a job, being I ain't really a runaway. There's this place, shelter...it's not bad, actually, and I was wondering if maybe you'd consider, I mean--" He paused. "You were right, Simon. I was wrong. Will you...forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive." I tightened my grip on his shoulder.

"Still friends?" he asked.

I hugged him. "Always."

With his typical impeccable timing, Al chose that moment to make his entrance. "Hey--" he admonished. "Not in front of the kid."

I grinned, in too good a mood to be annoyed by his suggestive innuendo. "What now?" I asked Joey.

"I got a job interview." He grimaced. "And they want you to go and talk to them, too. If you want."

"Of course I do. Let me make sure the squirt here is safe, and I'll meet you."

"Squirt?" both Al's sputtered indignantly.

Joey nodded, and we made plans to meet at the police station later that day. With one last hug and smile, he was gone.

"Now what?" big Al asked.

"Now," I rubbed my hands together, "we go and pick a pocket."

Two pairs of identical eyes widened.

 

* * *

 

With the hologram's help, I located Magic Walters. He was getting his shoes shined, and deep in conversation with what looked to be another pool player.

Little Al was understandably confused by my suggestion. "Let me get this straight – you want me to go over and pick that guy's pocket, but make sure I get caught?" He regarded me dubiously.

"I know you're scared and unsure. You said you trusted me, and I know it's a hard thing to do, but I promise you'll be okay. I know him. His name's Magic Walters, and he'll help you."

"Are you sure?" he asked skeptically.

"Positive," I told him with all the certainty of someone who knows the future.

The boy regarded me solemnly for a moment. "Okay," he agreed at last. "What the hell?" He started walking over, then stopped and turned back one last time. "See you around?"

"Count on it," I promised.

As he went to do the deed, I divided my attention between both Al's. I could tell mine was reliving fond memories by the smile on his face.

Things went exactly as I'd hoped. Before I knew it, Al was being hustled into the diner next door for something to eat. I smiled, more than a little misty eyed. It was crazy under the circumstances, but I was really going to miss the little kid.

Nothing got by Al. He pinned me with an amused expression. "Really fell for the kid, huh?"

"You better watch it," I pointed a warning finger at him. "I might decide to trade you in for him after all." Al smirked. "If I didn't know for a fact he was going to grow up just like you, I would," I added.

"Speaking of growing up..." He brought out the handlink, checking with Ziggy.

"How'd I do?" I asked eagerly.

"Joey does okay, he goes straight...so to speak. Better than that, the sleaze does hard time, thanks to Joe – who goes on to become a New York City police officer eventually."

"That's great," I crowed. "Does Simon still marry that rich girl?"

"Well," Al hesitated. "Actually, you changed that."

"What happened?" I asked, chagrined.

"For the better, he was miserable with her. Joey and Simon move in together and live happily ever after. Simon becomes an actor, does pretty good on off-Broadway and commercials."

"Oh...then why haven't I--" As I started to speak, the familiar feeling of leaping began.

"--you heart-breaker you..."

"--leaped..."

 

the end

9/7/91

 

**Author's Note:**

> Just FYI. Yes I'm mostly a stickler for original canon where Sam can only leap within his own lifetime (barring rare special circumstances). Sam was born in 1953. The year of the leap in this story is set by Al's meeting Magic, and since Sam is in the womb, I'm going with it as being within his lifetime.


End file.
